


silver lining

by princessoftheworlds



Series: it's (not) all an act [1]
Category: Torchwood
Genre: Alternate Universe - Celebrity, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fake/Pretend Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-16
Updated: 2020-09-16
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:16:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26491021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/princessoftheworlds/pseuds/princessoftheworlds
Summary: Actor Jack Harkness has his eyes on his dream role of the Captain, but the studio thinks his wild reputation won't match the character's clean-cut image. Jack is devastated...until his agent Gwen suggests he enter into a fake relationship with stage actor Ianto Jones.
Relationships: Jack Harkness/Ianto Jones
Series: it's (not) all an act [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1927099
Comments: 22
Kudos: 77
Collections: Torchwood Fan Fests: Bingo Fest 2020





	silver lining

**Author's Note:**

> ...I don't know what this is, but I kinda like it? And I definitely didn't start writing it during class...did I? Guess you'll never know.
> 
> Random details: This is set in 2020 in any random city of your choice (LA, NY, or London), though I did kinda imagine it as LA.
> 
> This knocks out the "fake dating/fake marriage" square of my card for the Torchwood Fan Fest Bingo Fest, because...well, it's kinda obvious.
> 
> Enjoy!

“You can’t be serious, Gwen,” Jack Harkness says, aghast, as he stares at his smartphone, placed precariously on the edge of the marble kitchen counter. He runs a hand through his already ruffled hair. “You want me to do  _ what? _ ”

On the other end of the call, Gwen Cooper, his dedicated agent of a decade, sighs. Jack can imagine her shoulders slumping, green eyes narrowing as she chews at her bottom lip. “Look, Jack,” she begins finally. “The studio isn’t sure you fit their clean-cut vision of the Captain. You’ve been a bit…”

_ Oh.  _ So it came back down to his private life again. “Blatantly queer, flamboyant, too loud?” he offers, and his mind flashes back to all those pap shots of him making out with John on that balcony in Italy. He’d  _ told  _ John that it wasn’t a good idea, but his ex had insisted that as a rock star, he had an image to maintain. Now, it’s Jack’s image and reputation at risk, his dream role of the World War II captain-turned time-traveller slipping further and further away.

“No, no,” Gwen says dismissively, “they don’t care that you’re queer. Actually, they love that and support you; they think it brings a new dynamic to the rather old-fashioned Captain. Makes kids feel like they can relate to him more.” She hums. “No. It’s more than that they don’t think you can project the same discipline the Captain does.”

“The pictures with John?” Jack surmises, sighing.

“The pictures with John.” Gwen’s tone takes on a bit of a frustrated edge. “The fact that you’ve been photographed snogging John across Europe  _ and _ doing the walk-of-shame from three different celebrities’ homes but that your last actual relationship barely lasted three months.” A beat. “The studio just wants to see you in a relationship. It doesn’t even have to last that long. Only a few months until filming is completed. Then you can stage the most public break up possible.”

“Who do they want me to date?” he asks, tapping his foot. “Can I date you?” It’s a joke, but at the same time, his mind is whirring through potential options he already knows. Tosh and Owen, his other best friends beside Gwen, are out of the question; the studio will probably want his “partner” to be a prominent celebrity, and they would frown upon John. John would also laugh at Jack’s offer. That leaves Lucia, his ex-girlfriend from his early twenties, but she’d never really trusted him after that pregnancy scare.

Gwen huffs a laugh. “Oh, Christ, no. Either we would kill each other or Rhys would kill you.”

“Then who?” Jack tries to keep the bewilderment and helplessness from bleeding into his tone.

“Ianto Jones,” replies Gwen. Jack’s brow furrows; the name seems familiar, but no one immediately comes to mind until she continues, “He’s a stage actor. We saw him perform on the West End last June.”

“Ianto Jones!” Jack pounces on the name, conjuring up the memory of a tall, dark-haired Welshman with piercing blue eyes and angled features. Cheekbones Jack envied. He’d been quiet yet intense on stage, and the few minutes that they managed to converse after the show had revealed a surprisingly witty sense of humor and deep intellect. He considers it. “I could be worse off,” he says finally. “I wouldn’t kick Jones out of bed.”

He hears Gwen snort with amusement on her end of the call. “His agent, Yvonne, had some distant connections to the studio and reached out to me when I put out some feelers. He’s out as bisexual but very reclusive and closed-off about his private life. He dated the model Lisa Hallett for three years and was nearly engaged to her before they broke it off several months ago.”

Slowly, Jack nods, listening carefully to Gwen. “But what does Jones get out of this?”

Gwen tells him, “He’s been trying to break into movies for a year now, but apart from a few recurring television roles, he hasn’t had much luck. Studios don’t care how talented he is if he has no public image.”

“That’s bull!” says Jack, affronted on Ianto’s behalf. Having gotten the start of his career as a Broadway star and theater actor, he knows how hard it can be to make the transition to the silver screen. “That’s complete fucking bullshit!”

“I know, I know,” she replies. “Hush. Yvonne hopes that if Ianto is romantically linked with you, the most public celebrity most people can think of, that will put him on the map enough for him to score his first leading role. But...this will only work out if both of you and him agree.”

He inhales sharply, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “What did Jones say?”

“Jones didn’t say anything,” she says. “He asked to meet you before he made a decision.”

* * *

The cafe that Gwen and Ianto’s agent Yvonne set them up at is wedged at the end of a quiet street corner and is a little place with vintage decorations that vibe nicely with Jack’s affinity for history and delicate colorful macarons that appeal to his massive sweet tooth. 

Dressed inconspicuously in a casual white t-shirt, jeans, and sunglasses with a hat - although nothing can mask his famous jawline - and hidden in a booth all the way in the back corner, Jack is on his third macaron -  _ lemon! _ \- when a tall man finally appears by his table.

Ianto Jones, just as pretty as he was on stage and dressed in a thin sweater and jeans, a leather jacket draped over his arm. Jack frowns at this before he realizes that he’d subconsciously expected Ianto to show up dressed in a three-piece suit just like his character from the play wore. Pity. The man would look good in a suit.

“Jack,” Ianto says, nodding politely as Jack gestures for him to take a seat. His Welsh accent sets a flurry of butterflies fluttering in Jack’s stomach. Jack squirms. Well, at least he won’t have a problem faking an attraction to the other man.

“Ianto,” replies Jack with a flirty grin. “I hear you’re my new studio-appointed boyfriend.”

Instead of returning his grin - or even chuckling a bit, Ianto’s brow furrows. “Well, that is what we’re here to discuss,” he points out.

Jack suppresses the desire to squirm in his seat again, but Ianto’s bright perceptive eyes flick over to him anyways. “Right. You’re right,” he says weakly, chuckling. And he calls himself an actor. “How have you been?”

“I’m alright.” Ianto’s reply is courteous, although he finally does smile at Jack, and Jack is a bit alarmed to find that being the recipient of Ianto Jones’s smiles only increases the butterfly sensation he feels. “And you?”

Drumming his fingers against the table, Jack grins toothily at the nearest server and signals for her to come over. “I’m doing just fine.” Just fine...if you count currently existing as a bundle of raw, fidgety nerves. 

When the server finally comes over, she smiles at them before holding her tablet out expectantly, but thankfully, there’s no trace of recognition in her eyes. Still, Ianto ducks his head, and even Jack, who has been lectured on the importance of being discreet today, drops his voice a few octaves. 

“Hi, can I have a small caramel macchiato?” he requests, then turns to Ianto. “Hey, uh...Jones, would you like anything?”

Ianto shifts slightly so only one side of his face is angled towards the server, but she doesn’t even blink. “Um, yes. May I have a large black coffee?” Then he looks briefly considerate. “And do you have any pastries with dark chocolate?”

“We do a wonderful dark chocolate eclair,” the server promises him, expression earnest.

“Well, then, I guess I’ll take one of those,” he replies.

Both men breathe much easier when the server has left. Ianto straightens up, and Jack clears his throat with a quiet cough.

“You seem to like bitter things,” Jack observes.

“You like sweet things,” counters Ianto, a wry smile tugging at his lips.

“So…” Jack begins, “what do you think about my agent’s idea?” He hesitates: “...that we date.”

Ianto shrugs. “It’s a strange proposition,” he says, “but we would both benefit immensely.” He eyes Jack. “Have you made a decision yet?”

Jack shakes his head. “Not yet...but having met you, I think I’d say yes. You don’t seem like the worst guy to be stuck in a fake relationship with for a few months.” He falls silent when the server returns with their order, both of them ducking their heads again until she leaves. Jack calls a quiet “thank you” after her. To Ianto: “What about you?”

Now, Ianto grins in amusement, and it’s a strangely open expression for someone who has been so closed off throughout this conversation. It’s also almost sheepish, his pale Welsh skin blushing brightly. “I, uh….I might have fibbed a bit,” he confesses, Jack suddenly struck by his adorableness. “See, um, Rhys Williams and I are old friends. We grew up near each other in Newport, so I already knew Gwen. 

“That conniving little…!” Jack trails off with a playful growl, grinning. Oh, Gwen Cooper. She’s always been able to play him like that. “I’ll be having words with her later.”

“I agreed pretty quickly after Yvonne explained Gwen’s idea,” Ianto continues, chuckling. He’s caught onto Jack’s sense of humor pretty quickly. “But Gwen said you were a bit hesitant and thought you might feel more at ease if you thought I was hesitating too.” 

Shoulders slumping, Jack cocks his head consideringly. “Yeah,” he admits. “Gwen was right.” He drums his fingers against the table again. “I guess there’s not really a question about if we’re doing this. It’s more like when.” When he sees Ianto’s lips part to speak, he groans. “Don’t tell me. Gwen has a plan for that too.”

“Well...it’s more of Yvonne’s idea this time,” Ianto tells him. “An old friend from drama school produced a film that made a bit of a splash at some film festivals. Yvonne thought we could make our first public appearance as a couple at the premiere next month.”

Jack nods. It does make sense. And then he and Ianto could take the next month to get to know each other and prepare themselves for a fake relationship. “I guess,” he replies. “It would work out well.” 

At his words, Ianto smiles a bit more.

They sit there, chatting, sipping their coffee, Ianto slowly breaking away at his eclair, for a bit longer. Jack entertains Ianto with a wardrobe snafu that nearly left him naked in front of millions of viewers from his early acting days. Shoulders shaking with quiet laughter, Ianto finishes off his pastry, wiping his chocolate-stained fingers on the cloth napkin beside him.

Although conversation flows oddly naturally between the two of them, they eventually run out of general things to talk about. Jack realizes that he’s parched and downs the rest of his coffee, now cold.

“I think it might be time for me to go,” says Ianto finally, looking regretful. Jack checks the time on his smartphone and finds that a few hours have passed since he first arrived at the cafe. In fact, many customers have already come in and out, and their server has long ended her shift.

“...I think so too,” agrees Jack. 

Both men rise, clearing their trash from the table and depositing it into the garbage bin near the front door. Outside the cafe, Jack pops his hat back on and slides his sunglasses over his eyes, knowing he probably looks like an asshole. Ianto, meanwhile, only zips up his leather jacket, lowering his head.

“I guess I’ll see you around, Jack,” he says, lips twitching into a brief smile. “I’ll get your number from Gwen.”

“I guess so,” says Jack, and before he can second-guess himself, he quickly leans in and plants a quick kiss on Ianto’s cheek. Then he turns around and strides away, leaving Ianto blushing on the sidewalk behind him.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on tumblr [here](http://princess-of-the-worlds.tumblr.com/) or on Twitter [here](https://twitter.com/rajkumarinik). I tweet and reblog mostly Torchwood with occasionally amusing commentary on nonsense. Please come talk to me and tell me if/how much you like my fic or like ask me about it on tumblr; all my schoolwork has become remote now, and I have limited social interaction. And if you have any future ideas for this potential verse or something you'd like to see, drop it in the comments!


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